Gentelles

Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

(2020–2026) Xavier Commecy^[1]Area5.57 km² (2.15 sq mi)Population639 • Density110/km² (300/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal codeElevation65–118 m (213–387 ft)
(avg. 117 m or 384 ft)¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Gentelles (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃tɛl]) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It is part of the arrondissement of Amiens and the canton of Amiens-4.^[3]

Geography

Gentelles is situated on the D168 road, some 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Amiens.

History

The village has been known by various name through its history: Gentilla, Gentella, Gentèle, Gentela, Gentelles, Gentilles, Le Gendalle and finally Gentelles.

It was the first town to be given to the abbey of Corbie by Clovis II and Saint Bathilde.

On November 27, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, Gentelles was the scene of a skirmish between the 20th Battalion of Chasseurs and the Germans. There were 25 fatalities, of which 12 were French, who are buried in the cemetery, where later a memorial was erected.

During World War I, the village was at the centre of fighting during the Battle of the Somme and was all but destroyed.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 440 —     1800 484 +1.37% 1806 547 +2.06% 1821 596 +0.57% 1831 640 +0.71% 1836 666 +0.80% 1841 686 +0.59% 1846 682 −0.12% 1851 691 +0.26% 1856 685 −0.17% 1861 701 +0.46% 1866 714 +0.37% 1872 660 −1.30% 1876 630 −1.16% 1881 646 +0.50% 1886 592 −1.73% 1891 584 −0.27% 1896 545 −1.37%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 502 −1.63% 1906 480 −0.89% 1911 415 −2.87% 1921 233 −5.61% 1926 293 +4.69% 1931 268 −1.77% 1936 288 +1.45% 1946 323 +1.15% 1954 335 +0.46% 1962 329 −0.23% 1968 299 −1.58% 1975 358 +2.61% 1982 359 +0.04% 1990 446 +2.75% 1999 461 +0.37% 2007 465 +0.11% 2012 562 +3.86% 2017 640 +2.63%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968–2017)[5]

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

References